All English Verb Tenses: The Ultimate Guide

Let’s explore how actions and states are expressed in English through 12 different verb forms. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll refer to all of them as tenses, even though that is not the proper grammatical terminology. We will break down each “tense” and its various forms, and provide several examples and quizzes for each.

What is a "tense" in English grammar?

In English grammar, “tense” simply refers to time. It indicates when an action occurred. English grammar has three main tenses: past, present, and future, each with different forms like simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous, providing details about timing and completion of actions.

What are "aspects" in English grammar?

Each tense can have 4 different aspects. Aspects in grammar describe how actions or states are viewed in terms of their duration or completion. I know many students use the term ‘tenses’ to refer to all verb forms, even though it’s technically incorrect. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll also use ‘tenses’ to describe the different verb forms on this page. Remember, your priority should be learning how to use each verb form and understanding its purpose, rather than memorizing technical terms. If you’re not planning to become an English teacher, you may never need to use these grammar terms in everyday communication.

Simple “tenses” are used for repeated actions, habits, hobbies, and permanent situations. They don’t focus on duration or completion. For example, “I drink coffee every morning”. Continuous “tenses” are used to describe actions or states that are ongoing or in progress at a specific time. They emphasize duration. They’re typically used for temporary situations. For example, “I am drinking coffee right now”. Perfect “tenses” (whether simple or continuous) make a connection between two different actions or situations. They’re used to describe completed actions or states or actions that have relevance to a specific point in time. For example, “I have eaten breakfast already”.

In simple tenses, actions happen AFTER each other.
In continuous tenses, actions happen AT THE SAME TIME.
In perfect tenses, actions happen BEFORE each other.

A. Angel arrived. I/we ate dinner.
B. Angel arrived. I was eating dinner.
C. Angel arrived. I had eaten dinner.
D. Angel arrived. I had been eating dinner.
Explanation: I am using the 4 aspects of the past tense as examples, but the exact same logic applies to the present and future tenses as well. In A, I waited for Angel to arrive and then I had my dinner, or maybe we ate dinner together. In B, I started eating first and then in the middle of my dinner, she arrived. In C, I started and finished my dinner before Angel arrived. In D, I started my dinner before she arrived. The dinner may or may not have been finished when she arrived.

To sum up, when considering the combination of the three main tenses (past, present, future) with the four main aspects, there are a total of 12 different verb forms.

Past Simple
Past Continuous
Past Perfect Simple
Past Perfect Continuous

Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Continuous

Future Simple
Future Continuous
Future Perfect Simple
Future Perfect Continuous

ALL 12 ENGLISH TENSES

PAST

Past Simple

The past simple tense describes actions or events that occurred in the past and were completed at a specific time, whether they happened just once or repeatedly. For example, “I visited the museum last week” indicates a single occurrence in the past, while “She walked to school every day” suggests a repeated action. In both cases, the past simple tense indicates that the actions took place and finished in the past, regardless of whether they occurred once or multiple times.

In the past simple tense, verbs are typically formed by adding ‘-ed’ to regular verbs. For example, ‘walk’ becomes ‘walked’ and ‘talk’ becomes ‘talked’. However, some verbs have irregular past tense forms that do not follow this pattern. For instance, ‘go’ becomes ‘went’ and ‘buy’ becomes ‘bought’. These irregular forms need to be memorized since they do not have consistent rules like regular verbs, hence the label ‘irregular’.

In the past simple tense, actions follow each other in order, like in a story. Each action is complete and is followed by the next. For example, when you say, ‘I woke up. I went to the kitchen. I made coffee. I sat down. I drank coffee.’ each action happens after the previous one, even if you don’t say ‘then’ or ‘after that’.

We understand the sequence of actions through grammar, not just common sense. While it might seem obvious that certain things must happen in a logical order (like needing to be awake before going to the kitchen), grammar allows us to understand sequence even when common sense can’t provide clear guidance.

A. I ate lunch. I went to work.
B. I went to work. I ate lunch.
In both scenarios, 2 things happen. In A, I ate lunch first, then went to work. In B, I went to work first, then ate lunch.

Subject + Verb 2 (past simple form of the verb) + Object + Place + Time
I (subject) watched (past simple form of the verb) a movie (object) at home (place) yesterday (time).
Keep in mind that it is possible to slightly rearrange some parts based on what you want to emphasize, especially in spoken English.

Examples of Past Simple

I woke up at 6am.
I made coffee.
He talked with his family 3 days ago.
She bought a new house last month.
When I was young, kids played in the streets every day.
She went to the park.
She sat down.
She listened to music.
They visited Texas last year.
George Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War and then served as president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

In summary, you can use the past simple tense for the following:

Describing single events in the past
Describing past habits or routines
Narrating past actions
Reporting past experiences

Past Continuous

The past continuous tense describes actions or events that were ongoing or in progress at a specific point in the past. It is formed by using the past tense of the verb ‘to be’ (was/were) followed by the base form of the main verb and the suffix ‘-ing’. For example, ‘I was studying all night’ suggests ongoing action in the past. Similarly, ‘She was reading a book when the phone rang’ indicates an action in progress when another event interrupted it. In both cases, the past continuous tense emphasizes the duration or continuity of the action in the past.

In the past continuous tense, the verb ‘to be’ (was/were) is conjugated according to the subject, while the main verb is used in its base form followed by ‘-ing’. For example, ‘I was cooking dinner’ and ‘They were cooking dinner’. This structure is consistent for both regular and irregular verbs. Unlike the past simple tense, there are no irregular forms in the past continuous tense, making it easier to form and use.

It’s important to note that the past continuous tense is used to describe actions or events that were ongoing or in progress rather than actions that were completed. In the past continuous tense, actions and events happen in parallel, rather than one after the other. For example, when you say ‘I was sitting in the kitchen. I was drinking coffee. I was listening to music.’, all three things are happening at the same time.

While narrating stories, we tend to use continuous tenses for background events and things that are less important to the story, and simple tenses for more important ones. For instance: “I was sitting in the park. Some people were playing board games. A man was walking his dog. Some kids were riding bicycles. The sun was shining. My phone rang.” Based on grammar alone we can understand that 5 things were happening at the same time in the background and then something more important, a phone call, happened.

Subject + Was/Were + Verb ing + Object + Place + Time
She (subject) was (past tense of “to be”) watching (verb-ing) TV (object) in the living room (place) yesterday (time).
Keep in mind that it is possible to rearrange these words based on what you want to emphasize.

Examples of Past Continuous

I was driving for 4 hours.
He was walking and listening to music.
She was studying for her exam all day yesterday.
I was cooking dinner when the phone rang.
They were playing soccer when it started to rain.

In summary, you can use the past continuous tense for the following:

Describe ongoing actions or events in the past
Indicate actions that were interrupted by another event
Provide background information in storytelling or narration

Past Perfect Simple

The past perfect simple tense describes actions or events that occurred before another action or point in the past. It is formed by using the past tense of the auxiliary verb ‘to have’ (had) followed by the past participle (also known as ‘verb 3’) of the main verb. For example, ‘I had finished my homework before dinner’ indicates that the action of finishing homework occurred before the action of having dinner. Similarly, ‘She had already left when I arrived’ suggests that the action of leaving happened prior to the action of arriving. In both cases, the past perfect simple tense emphasizes the completion of something before another.

Subject + Had + Verb 3 (past participle form of the verb) + Object + Place + Time
She (Subject) had eaten (Had + Verb 3) breakfast (Object) at home (Place) before going to the restaurant (Time).
Keep in mind that it is possible to rearrange these words based on what you want to emphasize.

Examples of Past Perfect Simple

I had already finished my lunch when they arrived.
She had finished her work before the meeting started.
They had already left when I arrived.
He had left by the time I got there.
We had finished the project before the deadline.
I had read the book before it became popular.
She had already booked the tickets at the travel agency before I reminded her.
Mcdonald’s had closed the branch on Istiklal road before we moved to Istanbul.
The Roman Empire had collapsed by the time the Byzantine Empire emerged as a distinct political entity in the 4th century AD.

In summary, you can use the past perfect simple tense for the following:

Describe actions completed before another action or point in the past
Indicate the completion of an action prior to a specific time or event

Past Perfect Continuous

The past perfect continuous tense describes actions or events that were ongoing and in progress before another action or point in the past. It emphasizes the duration of an activity leading up to a specific time or event. This tense is formed by using the past perfect tense of the auxiliary verb ‘to have’ (had) followed by been and the present participle (verb-ing) of the main verb. For example, ‘I had been studying for hours before the exam’ conveys the continuous nature of studying over a period of time prior to the exam. Similarly, ‘She had been waiting for over an hour when the bus finally arrived’ suggests the extended duration of waiting before the bus’s arrival.

Past perfect continuous tense is primarily used to emphasize the duration of an ongoing action or event leading up to another point or action in the past. It does not matter whether the earlier action is finished or not. The activity itself, and its duration, are more important than the result.

A. I drove to Atlanta. I had repaired my car.
B. I was tired. I had been repairing my car.
In A, as a result of repairing the car and the repair being completed, I was able to drive to Atlanta. In B, we do not know or care whether the car was ready or not. Maybe I finished the repair and came inside tired, or maybe I found out that I need to buy a new oil pressure switch and decided to do it later because I was tired. What we care about is that I was tired, not the car repair.

Subject + Had + Been + Verb ing + Object + Place + Time
She (Subject) had been cleaning (Had + Been + Verb-ing) her room (Object) for 2 hours (Time) when I arrived.

Examples of Past Perfect Continuous

I had been studying for hours before the exam.
She had been waiting for over an hour when the bus finally arrived.
They had been working on the project all morning before the meeting started.
He had been living in New York for ten years before moving to Los Angeles.
We had been traveling for days before reaching our destination.
The athlete had been training tirelessly for months before competing in the championship.

In summary, you can use the past perfect continuous tense for the following:

Describe ongoing actions or events that were in progress before another action or point in the past
Emphasize the duration of an activity leading up to a specific time or event

Past Tense Grammar Quiz

PRESENT

Present Simple

The present simple tense describes habits, routines, repeated actions, general truths, permanent things, or facts using the base form of the verb (also known as ‘verb 1’).

Keep in mind that for singular third-person subjects (he/she/it), you need to add -s/-es to the end of the verb.
I play. You play. We play. They play. He plays. She plays. It plays.
I watch. You watch. We watch. They watch. He watches. She watches. It watches.

The pronunciation of -es after the sounds s, z, sh, zh, ch, and j is “ehz”. For example, “watches” sounds like “watch-ehz” or “wa-chehz”.

Subject + Verb 1 (base form of the verb) + Object I (Subject) write (Base form of the verb) articles (Object) on this website (Place) every morning (Time).
I (Subject) drink (Verb) coffee every morning (Object).
She (Subject) makes (Verb) tacos (Object) at home (Place) every day (Time).

Examples of Present Simple

I drink coffee every morning.
I love ice cream.
He goes to school every day.
They live in Izmir.
It rains a lot in Seattle.
He speaks French.
The train leaves at 9am every morning.
Tigers run fast.
The Earth orbits the sun.
Birds fly in the sky.
The sun is hot.

In summary, you can use the present simple tense for the following:

Describe routine actions or habits
State general truths or facts Indicate permanent situations or states

Present Continuous

The present continuous tense describes actions that are happening right now at the moment of speaking or actions that are ongoing around the current time. It is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb ‘to be’ (am/is/are) followed by the base form of the main verb plus ‘-ing’.

Understanding the concept of “at” or “around the time” is crucial in using the present continuous tense accurately. For instance, when asking a friend you see on the street, “What are you doing?” they may not simply respond with “I am walking” but rather provide details about their activities throughout the day or recent events. So it is not always about what’s happening “at” the time of speaking.

Subject + Am/Is/Are + Verb ing + Object + Place + Time
I (Subject) am (present tense of “to be”) writing (verb-ing) an email (Object) right now (Time) in my room (Place).
She (Subject) is (present tense of “to be”) watching (verb-ing) TV (Object) at the moment (Time) in the living room (Place).
We (Subject) are (present tense of “to be”) learning (verb-ing) English (Object) together.

Examples of Present Continuous

I am reading a book.
She is cooking dinner in the kitchen.
They are playing football in the park.
He is studying for his exam at the library.
We are watching a movie at home.
It is raining outside on the street.
The baby is sleeping in the crib.
The students are listening to the teacher in the classroom.
The dog is barking loudly in the garden.
The workers are building a new house at the construction site.

In summary, you can use the present continuous tense for the following:

Describe actions happening right now
Indicate ongoing actions around the current moment
Indicate temporary situations or states

Present Perfect Simple

The present perfect simple tense indicates actions or events that have occurred at an unspecified time before the present moment or those that have relevance to the present. It is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb ‘to have’ (have/has) followed by the past participle form of the main verb.

Perfect tenses, like the present perfect simple, serve to bridge two distinct moments or actions. For instance, when someone says “I have eaten breakfast,” they not only convey the action of eating but also imply its relevance to the present moment, suggesting they are not hungry at the time of speaking. This tense often finds use in situations where the precise timing of an action is less important than its impact on the present. It allows speakers to convey experiences, accomplishments, or changes that have occurred over time up to the current moment.

In other words, a perfect tense connects two time periods. Past perfect connects the distant past with the more recent past. Present perfect connects the past with the present. Future perfect connects the near future with the more distant future. The earlier action is stated directly, while the connection to the later time is implied.

For instance:
A: Hey, do you wanna come to the cinema with us?
B: I have already watched this movie.
Here, B is communicating two things: 1. he watched this movie at some point in the past (stated directly), and 2. he doesn’t want to come to the cinema now (implied). He’s rejecting the current offer by explaining his past experience with the movie.

Subject + Have/Has + Verb 3 (past participle form of the verb) + Object
I (Subject) have (present tense of “to have”) done (past participle form) my homework (Object).
She (Subject) has (present tense of “to have”) visited (past participle form) Paris (Object).

Examples of Present Perfect Simple

I have seen that movie before.
She has traveled to many countries.
They have finished their work for today.
He has read that book.
We have lived in this city for ten years.
It has rained a lot recently.
The team has won several championships.
The children have eaten all the cookies.
The company has released a new product.
He has never been to Japan.

In summary, you can use the present perfect simple tense for the following:

Indicate actions or events that have relevance to the present moment.
In other words, we use it to make a connection between past and present.
Describe actions or events that happened at an unspecified time before now

Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous tense captures ongoing actions that started in the past and are still relevant to the present moment. Unlike the present perfect simple, which focuses on completed actions with present relevance, the present perfect continuous emphasizes the continuity or duration of an activity rather than its completion or result. It does not matter whether the earlier action is completed or not.

This tense is formed by combining the present tense of the auxiliary verb ‘to have’ (have/has) with ‘been’ and the present participle (verb-ing) form of the main verb. An essential distinction of the present perfect continuous tense is its acknowledgement that the action may or may not be finished. The emphasis here lies on the activity itself rather than its outcome or completion. For example, “I have been studying for hours,” implies ongoing study without specifying whether the study session has ended or not.

A. I’m tired. I have worked for 6 hours.
B. I’m tired. I have been working for 6 hours.
In A, the focus is on the completed work – I finished my 6-hour shift and now I’m tired as a result. In B, we don’t know or care whether I’m done working or not. Maybe I just finished my shift, or maybe I still have more work to do but I’m already exhausted from the 6 hours I’ve put in so far. What we care about is that I’m exhausted now, or maybe the reason why I’m exhausted, not whether my work is complete.

Subject + Have/Has + Been + Verb ing + Object + Place + Time
She (Subject) has (Have/Has) been (Been) reading (Verb ing) a book (Object) in the library (Place) for two hours (Time).
They (Subject) have (Have/Has) been (Been) playing (Verb ing) soccer (Object) at the park (Place) all afternoon (Time).

Examples of Present Perfect Continuous

I have been studying for hours.
She has been practicing piano since this morning.
They have been waiting for the bus for over an hour.
He has been working on the assignment all week.
We have been watching movies together for years.
The students have been discussing the project for days.
She has been living in Paris for six months.
He has been exercising at the gym every day.
The dog has been barking loudly all afternoon.
They have been renovating their house for months.

In summary, you can use the present perfect simple tense for the following:

Describe ongoing actions or activities that started in the past and continue up to the present moment.
Emphasize the duration or continuity of an activity rather than its completion or result.
Highlight actions or situations that may or may not be finished, focusing on the activity itself rather than its outcome.

FUTURE

Future Simple

The future simple tense describes actions or events that will happen in the future. It is formed using the base form of the verb with the auxiliary verb “will.” In using the future simple tense, we often discuss future plans, predictions, or scheduled events. Similar to present simple and past simple, which are used for repeated actions and routines, this tense can also be used to talk about future routines or scheduled activities.

Subject + Will + Verb 1 (base form of the verb) + Object + Place + Time
I (Subject) will (Auxiliary verb) write (Verb 1) an essay (Object) at home (Place) tomorrow (Time).
She (Subject) will (Auxiliary verb) make (Verb 1) a presentation (Object) at the office (Place) next week (Time).

Note: The verb that immediately follows auxiliary verbs such as can, will, may, might, etc., should ALWAYS be in its base form. This means not the past form (verb 2), not the past participle (verb 3), and no -s, -es, -ing, or -ed. Nothing should be added to the verb.
Correct: Should go/do/drink/drive/play
Incorrect: Should goes/went/gone/going/to go

Examples of Future Simple

I will visit my parents next weekend.
She will attend the conference next month.
They will finish the project by the end of the week.
He will start his new job next Monday.
We will meet for dinner at 7 p.m. tomorrow.
The concert will begin at 8 p.m. tonight.
The train will depart at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.
They will celebrate their anniversary next year.
She will buy a new car next month.
We will travel to Europe next summer.

In summary, you can use the future simple tense for the following:

Expressing intentions or plans for the future
Making predictions or stating future facts
Indicating scheduled or certain future events
Talk about routines in the future

Future Continuous

Future continuous tense describes actions that will be ongoing at a particular future time or during a future event. It’s formed by using the future tense of the auxiliary verb “to be” (will be) followed by the base form of the main verb plus “-ing.” Similar to other continuous tenses, future continuous actions happen at the same time and are not complete. For example, “this time next week I will be lying on the beach. I will be drinking Margaritas. My family will be staying in Georgia though. They will be looking after Angel and our garden.” This means that all 4 of those things will be happening at around the same time, in the future.

Subject + Will Be + Verb ing + Object + Place + Time
I (Subject) will be doing (Verb ing) some cleaning (Object) in my garden (Place) tomorrow morning (Time).

Examples of Future Continuous

I will be studying all night for my exam tomorrow.
They will be traveling to Europe next month.
She will be working on her project this weekend.
We will be attending a concert next Friday.
He will be cooking dinner for us tonight.
The team will be practicing for the tournament all week.
You will be watching the game with us tomorrow evening.
The students will be presenting their projects in class next week.
Sarah will be visiting her family during the holidays.
The company will be launching its new product next quarter.

In summary, you can use the future continuous tense for the following:

Describe actions that will be ongoing at a particular future time
Indicate the duration or interruption of an activity in the future
Discuss future plans or arrangements that involve continuous actions.

Future Perfect Simple

The future perfect simple tense describes actions or events that will be completed before a specific time or action in the future. It emphasizes the completion of an activity prior to another point or action.

This tense is formed by using the future tense of the auxiliary verb ‘will’ or ‘shall’ followed by ‘have’ and the past participle of the main verb. When we say, “By the time you arrive, I will have finished my work,” we are expressing that “my work” will be completed before the arrival.

Subject + Will + Have + Verb 3 (past participle form of the verb) + Object
I (Subject) will have finished (Verb 3) my homework (Object) by the time you arrive (Time).

Examples of Future Perfect Simple

By the time you arrive, I will have finished my work.
They will have completed the project before the deadline.
She will have graduated from college by next year.
We will have moved to our new house by the end of the month.
He will have written the report by tomorrow afternoon.
The company will have launched its new product by next month.
Sarah will have returned from her trip by Friday.
The team will have won the championship by the end of the season.
I will have prepared dinner by the time you come home.
They will have finished painting the house by next week.

In summary, you can use the future perfect simple tense for the following:

Describe actions that will be completed before a specific time or action in the future.
Indicate the completion of an activity prior to another point or action.

Future Perfect Continuous

The future perfect continuous tense describes actions or events that will be ongoing and in progress up to a certain point or action in the future. It emphasizes the duration of an activity leading up to another event or time in the future. This tense is formed by using the future tense of the auxiliary verb ‘will’ followed by ‘have been’ and the present participle (verb-ing) of the main verb.

In the future perfect continuous tense, the main focus is on describing the ongoing duration of an activity leading up to another future event or time, without specifically stating whether the activity will be finished or not by that time.

Subject + Will + Have Been + Verb ing + Object + Place + Time
I (Subject) will have been studying (Verb ing) for three hours (Time) when you arrive (Time) at the library (Place).

Examples of Future Perfect Continuous

By the time you come back, I will have been waiting for you for an hour.
They will have been working on the project for six months by the time it is completed.
She will have been living in London for ten years next month.
We will have been traveling for a week by the time we reach our destination.
He will have been practicing the piano for two hours when the concert starts.
The company will have been developing the software for a year before its release.
Sarah will have been studying for her exam all night by tomorrow morning.
The team will have been training for months before the championship game.
I will have been writing the report for two days by the time it’s due.
They will have been renovating the house for weeks when they finally finish.

In summary, you can use the future perfect continuous tense for the following:

Describe ongoing actions or events leading up to a specific point or action in the future.
Emphasize the duration of an activity prior to another event or time in the future.

Test Your English Grammar Knowledge: All Tenses (Quiz)

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